Florida congressional candidate defends Gibson from antisemitism claims

“The Left attacking Mel Gibson over hearsay according to clepto girl,” Melton tweeted, referencing Ryder's highly publicized shoplifting arrest years ago.

Mel Gibson 390 (photo credit: FayesVision/WENN.com)
Mel Gibson 390
(photo credit: FayesVision/WENN.com)
A Republican congressional candidate for Florida's 22nd district has come out in support of actor Mel Gibson, amid renewed allegations of his antisemitic remarks, the Algemeiner reported.
One of the four Republicans running against longtime incumbent Rep. Ted Deutch, Jessica "Jessi" Melton defended the actor from allegations levied against him by Jewish actress Winona Ryder, alleging that he called her an "oven dodger" in reference to the Holocaust.
“The Left attacking Mel Gibson over hearsay according to clepto girl,” Melton tweeted, referencing Ryder's highly publicized shoplifting arrest years ago.
“Of course they are. He’s Christian and ready to expose all their dirty secrets.”

The dirty secrets Melton refereed to are the supposed rampant practice of pedophilia in Hollywood, she explained on a radio interview, according to the Algemeiner.
Melton is a longtime propagator of pedophilia-linked conspiracy theories, including supporting the QAnon theory that members of the political and economic elite conspire together to engage in widespread pedophilia and cover each other's tracks.
Ryder brought up a story of Gibson's antisemitism and homophobia in an interview with The Telegraph in June.
"We were at a crowded party with one of my good friends, and Mel Gibson was smoking a cigar, and we’re all talking, and he said to my friend, who’s gay, ‘Oh wait, am I going to get AIDS?’ And then something came up about Jews, and he said, ‘You’re not an oven dodger, are you?'"
The actor denied these allegations.

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"This is 100% untrue," a representative for Gibson later said in a statement to Variety. "She lied about it over a decade ago, when she talked to the press, and she's lying about it now."
While Gibson has a long history of antisemitic remarks, Melton explained in the radio interview that this has no bearing on her, as she said she was supported by the Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC), the Algemeiner reported.
Speaking to the Floridian, the RJC said it has not given Melton any support or endorsement whatsoever.
Celia Jean and Reuters contributed to this report.